The present invention relates to computer displays and more particularly to computer displays capable of rotation generally in the plane of the display.
An attractive feature of many conventional computer monitors and displays is the ability to adjust the monitor or display to a user""s preference. The term xe2x80x9cdisplayxe2x80x9d is used herein and in the appended claims to refer to a computer monitor, display, and any other device used in conjunction with a computer for displaying text and/or graphics upon a screen in any manner. The term xe2x80x9cdisplayxe2x80x9d refers collectively to the screen upon which such text and/or graphics is displayed, as well as the housing, frame, or other structure within or upon which the screen is mounted.
The screen of the display can be in any form, including without limitation a display surface of a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD). Numerous devices and mechanisms exist to adjust one or more computer display positional attributes, such as tilt, rotational position, and the like. For example, some computer displays are mounted to a base for rotation thereon via a ball and socket-type connection permitting the display to be rotated about a generally vertical axis. Other computer displays also or instead permit the display to be tilted upwardly or downwardly to the preference of the user. Still other computer displays permit rotation of the display about an axis generally perpendicular to the screen of the display. An example of such a display is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,561 issued to Huilgol et al. A computer display capable of screen rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to the display screen (hereinafter referred to as a computer display having a xe2x80x9crotatablexe2x80x9d screen) permits a user to place the screen in at least two orientations: a portrait orientation and a landscape orientation typically about 90 degrees apart. This capability is particularly useful for screens that are rectangular, but can also be used for screens that are square. Specifically, some computer applications are better viewed in landscape format (e.g., with the longer screen dimension in a rectangular screen oriented generally horizontally), while others are better viewed in portrait format (e.g., with the shorter screen dimension in a rectangular screen oriented generally horizontally). As used herein, the terms xe2x80x9clandscapexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cportraitxe2x80x9d refer to screen orientations that are generally 90 degrees apart, and do not indicate or imply any particular screen shape (e.g., rectangular or square) or dimensions.
Computer displays such as the display disclosed in the Huilgol patent present a number of design difficulties not typically encountered in other computer displays. For example, computer displays capable of rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to the display screen call for electrical connections to the display permitting such rotation. These electrical connections should be protected against binding, pinching, excessive bending, and strain in the range of screen and display movement.
Also, many conventional computer displays capable of such rotation provide only a discreet number of screen positions and orientations, as opposed to an infinite number of screen positions and orientations. Although the computer screen is typically rotatable through a range of screen orientations and/or slidable through a range of screen positions, the screen typically can only be held in a small number (e.g., two or three) orientations and positions.
Another problem for computer displays having rotatable screens is inadvertent or accidental screen movement. During rotation or other movement of the screen, the possibility exists for a user to drop or otherwise release the screen. This can cause the screen to drop or fall a distance in some rotatable screen designs, and can cause undesirable forces to be exerted upon the screen, wiring, or the rest of the display. Such forces can also be generated when the screen is bumped, pushed, or otherwise accidentally moved from one of its discreet orientations or positions described above.
Yet another problem with rotatable screen designs is the need to balance screen movability with display complexity. Complex display designs typically result in a computer display that is more susceptible to breakage and that is more expensive to manufacture, assemble, and repair.
In light of the problems and limitations of the prior art described above, a need exists for a computer display having a rotatable screen that can be moved and held in a range of positions and orientations, that is movable without exposing screen electrical connections to excess stress, that is resistant to damage by screen movement, and that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble, and repair. Each preferred embodiment of the present invention achieves one or more of these results.
In the display screen apparatus and method of the present invention, a hub or other extension one preferred embodiment of coupled to a display screen is received within an aperture in a body portion (preferably of a screen housing) for sliding, rotation, or both sliding and rotation. A gasket is employed to permit a user to place and hold the display screen in a range of sliding and/or rotational positions with respect to the body portion. In a highly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the display screen has a screen backing from which the extension extends. Also preferably, the extension is in the form of a hub connected to the screen backing and having an aperture through which screen wiring passes from the display screen into a screen housing.
Preferably, the gasket is ring-shaped, is received around the hub, and is held between a surface of the screen housing and a compression member. The compression member can be a portion of the hub or can be a separate element attached to the hub, such as a plate-shaped element attached to the end of the hub. Most preferably, the compression member provides some degree of compressive force against the gasket to cause frictional engagement of the gasket against the body portion of the screen housing (and thereby to hold the display screen in desired positions via the hub in the aperture). The gasket can have different shapes and be located in other positions in the display screen apparatus to perform the same functions as the ring-shaped gasket.
The aperture in the body portion of the screen housing is preferably elongated to permit a user to shift the hub through the aperture and thereby to move the display screen through a range of positions. This range of positions is most preferably a vertical range of positions permitting a user to raise and lower and hold the display screen in a number of different vertical positions. The aperture in the body portion also preferably permits rotation of the display screen with respect to the screen housing. To limit rotation of the display screen, such as to prevent over-rotation of the display screen in the same rotational direction, the body portion of the screen housing preferably has a stop member which obstructs certain movement of a limit member coupled to the hub.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention the limit member is preferably a finger, arm, or extension of the compression member or of the hub itself, and preferably rotates with the hub (and the display screen) into and out of engagement with stop member(s) described above in one or more locations of the hub in the aperture. The stop member can take a number of different forms, but is preferably a lip or ridge located adjacent to the aperture in the body portion and against which the limit member coupled to the hub abuts in certain desired rotational and sliding positions of the hub in the aperture. In some highly preferred embodiments, the lip or ridge runs partially around the aperture in the body portion, leaving a gap for substantially unrestricted movement of the limit member and for passage of display screen wiring into the screen housing. The ends of this lip or ridge preferably serve as stops to prevent rotation in a desired rotational direction when the display screen is at an extreme end of the aperture (e.g., at the display screen""s top position). In other embodiments of the present invention, the stop member can be located in various positions adjacent to the aperture of the body portion to obstruct or restrict rotation of the hub in those positions in the aperture.
In one preferred method of using the display screen apparatus of the present invention, the user grasps a portion of the display screen or frame connected thereto and pulls the display screen to pull the hub a distance along the aperture in the screen housing (against frictional force from the gasket). The display can preferably be left in any position to which the screen is pulled in the aperture. After the display has been moved a distance sufficient to permit the display screen and frame to rotate without interference with surrounding environment, the user then preferably rotates the display screen about 90 degrees from a portrait or landscape screen orientation to a landscape or portrait orientation, respectively. Again, the display can preferably be left in any orientation as it is rotated. Over-rotation is preferably prevented by interference of the limit member connected to the hub with the stop member of the screen housing. These elements also permit rotation of the screen only through a limited range. The screen can then be vertically slid to adjust the screen height, and can preferably again be left in any vertical position desired.
More information and a better understanding of the present invention can be achieved by reference to the following drawings and detailed description.